Finding the Loft in a Brownstone
If the icon of old Brooklyn is the Brownstone, with all its ornate detail and small spaces, and the icon of new Brooklyn is the open floor plan of loft-like spaces in glassy towers, perhaps the house featured in the NY Times this weekend represents a happy medium, a meeting of the two. The current…
If the icon of old Brooklyn is the Brownstone, with all its ornate detail and small spaces, and the icon of new Brooklyn is the open floor plan of loft-like spaces in glassy towers, perhaps the house featured in the NY Times this weekend represents a happy medium, a meeting of the two. The current owner of the house on Park Place moved there in the 1970s (her mother bought it for $39,000), and eventually decided on a high-modern makeover for the place. The moldings had already been removed, much of that detail scraped off by an earlier owner. “They agreed that the garden floor would become the rental apartment and they hired an architect, Ron DiDonno, to reconfigure the space.” That garden floor ended up being so open that they’ve rented it out for television commercials. “To get the home they wanted, everything had to go. ‘It was a brick-to-brick renovation,’ Ms. Marland said. ‘Nothing is left but the staircase and the downstairs kitchen.’ To that they added a B&B Italia sofa and Donghia dining table, bought at sample sales, though not all the modern flourishes are high-end. We still have $8 paper shades from Pintchik’s on the windows.”
An Old Brownstone’s Loft Aesthetic [NY Times]
Photo from Property Shark.
sam needs to loosen his corset.
When people do this kind of thing, of course they’re going to say “there was absolutely no details left”. What do you expect them to say? “we ripped out a dumpster full of exquisite detail but it just didn’t appeal to us because we are phillistines”?
I’m surprised at DiDonno, he usually has better sense than this. People who want to live in white shoeboxes should not buy historic rowhouses.
THL – You’re right, people don’t ever get it right, but in the hands of a good designer :), It’s often achieved. I just saw a great townhouse on CPW, that was completely stipped and went through a classic renovation, recreating period details. It is beautiful to say the least, and I have to admit, better than before.
‘uninspired by the postings’ – why didn’t you put something up for us that was inspirational? You holding back?
Mr Joist, the Slope gets an absurd amount of press in the Times bacuase an absurb number of Times reporters/editors live there. The lazy bums just sit in idea meetings and say “oh my neighbors redid their place. Its cool. Let’s run an article on it.”
BRG- Sure you can buy them but how many times do people actually “get it right”. I think they often look contrived and slightly out of whack. True there are a few that could pull it off but not many. Just leave them be and find something more to your liking.
I’ve been checking in to read up but I’ve been a bit uninspired by the postings lately so I’ve kept my yap (fingers?) shut and let other have at it. This one got me chatty again!
I’ll admit…I love love contemporary design. I’m a minimalist at heart. I love contemporary details. Give me glass, metal, concrete, etc. Detail it beautifully and I’m drooling.
Given that. I don’t love this house. Some of the details are blah…as in oh, so very boring. I actually hate the stairs, wall base and their choice of door and window frames. Looks contempo for the 80’s, not of today. They would have faired better to do white frames or frameless.
THL – in reference to period details in a house.
‘Once they are gone you can never get back.’
I have to disagree with you on that point. You can buy details up the Yazoo. There are catalogs and catalogs of the stuff. Period interiors are created all the time.
And where have you been? We’ve missed you and your mill basin treasures.
Agreed. Personally, I love what they did here. It’s much better than when they try to re-create the old details. This is gorgeous.
I do wonder how they wash the skylight window though!
“if you don’t appreciate those details don’t buy a house filled with them and proceed to remove all of them”
I agree with you there. But if the place has already been stripped, then I’m game for a modern makeover.
Snark,
I’m not saying you shouldn’t fill a brownstone with modern furnishings if that’s you taste. All I ask is that if you don’t appreciate those details don’t buy a house filled with them and proceed to remove all of them. Once they are gone you can never get back.
I respect those period details may not be everyone’s cup of tea but there are plenty of places to live already that come stripped of details. Like I said before if you want a loft buy a loft. Leave the brownstones for those people who appreciate them as they are. Also, having those original details intact sure does help the resale value!